Betty Schley celebrated her 73rd birthday on Mt. Kilimanjaro. After 54 years in nursing, she still works full time at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale.

Betty Schley (left), Shaun Bennett (center) and Catherine Buick take a rest during their climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in February 2019.(Photo: Betty Schley photo)

Betty Schley’s 73rd birthday was easily her most memorable.

It's not like you get to eat birthday cake while you’re on way to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro every year.

Schley, a pediatric nurse at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, trekked to the top of Africa’s highest mountain in February. She said the emotions she felt when she made it to the top of Uhuru Peak were almost overwhelming.

“I almost started to cry,” Schley said. “It was just such a feeling. You’re looking down on the valley. Everything is white because it’s covered by clouds and you’re above the clouds. The sky is blue where you are and the sun was shining. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment."

She made the trip with her daughter, Shaun Bennett, and friend Catherine Buick.

"All we could say was we did it," Schley said. "We did it.”

6 days going up, 2 coming down

Six of Schley’s eight days on Kilimanjaro were spent heading up the mountain. While the expedition was more of a hike than a climb (you don’t scale Kilimanjaro as much as you follow the trails), it still covered more than 60 miles under high-altitude conditions.

The peak, in Tanzania, is 19,341 feet above sea level. Schley said their trip started at about 10,000 feet so altitude was an issue from the beginning.

“I had no idea altitude could affect a person as much as it does,” Schley said. “There is nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, blindness. All kinds of things can happen as you go up. Knowing that, the guides are checking on you all the time.”

Schley said altitude sickness didn’t become an issue during her trip, but it was something they were aware of.

“As far as the climb goes, the only thing I can say is it was a wonderful experience,” Schley said. “It was tough. I’m not saying it was easy going up that mountain. We did just over 60 miles in a total of eight days and most of those were going up. I would say anybody could do it if you’re determined and really set their mind to it and wanted to accomplish it, they could.”

Schley regularly pursues adventure

She said Kilimanjaro was easily the highest mountain she has summited, but it was only the latest in a long series of adventures.

Other highlights include scuba diving in the Red Sea and Thailand, ice diving in her native Canada, climbing Machu Picchu and setting foot on all seven continents. She made the trip to Antarctica in 2008.

Betty Schley (left) with Catherine Buick and Shaun Bennett (right) during their trip to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in February 2019.(Photo: Betty Schley photo)

Schley has never been someone to shy away from a challenge.

“Nothing is going to stop me,” she said. “I have always been that way.”

It’s part of the reason she continues to work full time (54 years into her career in nursing) even though she could have stepped away years ago.

A brief retirement

“I did attempt to retire in 2010,” Schley said. “I came back to the mainland from Hawaii. I thought it was time to take it easy. That lasted five months. After five months, I realized I couldn’t.”

Schley said she couldn’t stay retired for a variety of reasons. She missed the personal contact with patients, particularly children, as well as her colleagues.

Also, her work pays the bills that allow her to go on adventures.

“I can understand when people retire and then they pass away,” she said. “There’s nothing to do. Unless you’re independently wealthy and can afford to try all of these new things.”

Betty Schley, 73, at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in February 2019. Schley is a nurse at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale.(Photo: Betty Schley photo)

What's her next adventure?

When she returned from Kilimanjaro last month she was discussing the trip with colleagues at the hospital. One physician said she wanted to make the trip to Mount Everest base camp one day and suggested that Schley come along.

Schley said Everest, even the base camp portion, wasn’t on her bucket list. Trips to India to see the Taj Mahal or China to see the Great Wall, certainly, but not Everest.

“She said, ‘That’s 2,000 feet less than Kilimanjaro, why don’t you come with me?'” Schley said. “I don’t think so. I have looked in to it. It really is a challenge. But I don’t think so. I mean, I turned 73 on (Kilimanjaro). If I was even 20 years younger, I probably would say, ‘Sure, why not?’ But I will have to tell you it’s tempting.”

Schley’s mother lived to be 100 years old and walked five miles a day until she was 96. She comes from a long line of resilient, active people.

When asked again about considering a trip to Everest, Schley replied, “I haven’t ruled it out.”